Keep the Magic Alive ✨ CCM

Columbus Collective Museums is more than a group of museums — it is a living, breathing cultural home on Hamilton Road. Nestled at the crossroads of Columbus history, our nonprofit preserves stories that might otherwise be forgotten and brings art, creativity, and community back to a part of the city that has long needed renewed light and investment.

What began as a single collection — The Lunchbox Museum — created by Allen Woodall, who has grown into a remarkable, one-of-a-kind network of museums that now includes the RC Cola Museum, Nehi Museum, Chero-Cola Museum/Country Store, Folk Art Museum, Tom Huston Peanut Museum, Georgia Radio Museum & Hall of Fame, and more. Together, they tell the story of who we are: our local industries, our culture, our makers, our childhood memories, our Southern identity, and our shared heritage.

These museums sit in the heart of an underserved neighborhood where access to arts, culture, and educational experiences is limited. We believe that everyone — especially the families and children who live right around us — deserves beauty, wonder, creativity, and pride in their community. Every day we work to bring that to life.

Our mission is simple but powerful: to preserve history, inspire curiosity, create educational opportunities, and bring new energy to the Hamilton Road corridor through cultural tourism, art, and community programming.

We welcome school groups, families, travelers, artists, collectors, and everyday neighbors who walk through our doors because they’re curious about the bright sign on the corner or the stories they’ve heard about “that place with the lunchboxes.” Once inside, visitors discover something rare: a museum experience that feels personal, handmade, nostalgic, and alive.

We are working hard to revitalize this area by creating a destination worth visiting — a place where visitors from across Georgia (and beyond) can spend the day exploring, learning, laughing, and discovering pieces of their own story through ours. Museums create movement, movement creates foot traffic, and foot traffic brings opportunity to a neighborhood ready for growth.

But like many small nonprofits, we rely heavily on community support to continue operating. Our buildings, collections, utilities, insurance, programming, and maintenance are all powered by donations and visitors. We are a very small team doing very big work — preserving history, caring for thousands of objects, managing facilities, hosting events, supporting local artists, and keeping admission affordable for families.

This Giving Tuesday, we are asking for your support to help us:

• Keep our museums open, thriving, and accessible

• Provide educational experiences for children and schools

• Preserve and maintain rare historical collections

• Continue revitalizing Hamilton Road through arts and tourism

• Create more free community programming and events

• Bring joy, creativity, and hope to an underserved corridor

Every donation, whether $10 or $1,000, makes a direct and meaningful impact. Your gift helps us maintain our operations, support staff, care for our collections, and continue building a cultural hub that lifts up both the neighborhood and the entire city.

Columbus Collective Museums is a hidden gem, but with your help, it can shine brighter than ever. We invite you to stand with us, believe in our mission, and invest in a project that preserves our past while transforming our future.

Thank you for supporting the magic we’re creating on Hamilton Road — for our community, for our city, and for the generations still to come.